<h4>Chapter 636: Calling Them Husbands</h4>


    <strong>Evaline:</strong>


    The moment the door clicked shut behind Celeste, the office fell into a deep, quiet silence.


    For a second, neither of us moved.


    I was still standing near the door, staring at it as if expecting Celeste to suddenly storm back in.


    But she didn’t.


    Her hurried footsteps faded down the hallway until they disappearedpletely.


    Only then did I finally breathe out.


    Slowly, I reached for the lock and turned it, causing a soft click to echo in the silence.


    Just in case.


    When I turned around, my gaze immediatelynded on River.


    He was still sitting behind his desk, but the rigid tension that had held his body earlier hadn’t disappearedpletely.


    His shoulders were tight.


    His jaw still looked slightly clenched.


    And through the mate bond, I could feel the lingering agitation inside him.


    Celeste’s presence had clearly affected him far more than he had shown outwardly.


    Without saying anything, I walked toward the desk.


    My steps were quiet against the floor as I approached him. I barely reached his side when his hand suddenly moved.


    Before I even realized what he was doing, his fingers wrapped around my wrist. And then... he pulled.


    A small gasp escaped me as I stumbled forward andnded on hisp just like he intended.


    "River-"


    My words stopped the moment his arms wrapped around me.


    He pulled me closer until there wasn’t even an inch of space between us. Then he buried his face against my neck.


    His breath brushed against my skin as he inhaled deeply - once, twice, again - like my scent was something he needed more than oxygen in that moment.


    The tension in his body was unmistakable.


    I didn’t say anything. Instead, I slipped my arms around him.


    My one hand found its way into his perfectly styled hair, my fingers gentlybing through the soft strands. The other rested on his back, slowly rubbing soothing circles between his shoulders.


    Through the bond, I could feel everything - the irritation, the frustration, the possessive anger he had been holding back the entire time Celeste stood in this office.


    So I simply held him and let my scent wrap around him, let the calm from our bond flow into him.


    His grip around my waist slowly loosened and his breathing gradually steadied. And the storm of emotions inside him finally began to settle.


    We stayed like that for a while, just quietly holding each other.


    Eventually, River lifted his head, and his eyes met mine. The sharp irritation from earlier had faded, reced with something softer.


    I tilted my head slightly as I studied him.


    "You were harsh," I said out loud.


    One of his brows lifted.


    "With Celeste," I rified.


    He didn’t look even slightly apologetic.


    "If anything," he muttered, "I held back."


    My lips twitched.


    "I’m serious."


    "I know."


    I rested my hands lightly on his shoulders.


    "I might not like her," I admitted honestly, "and I definitely don’t want her anywhere near you..."


    River’s eyes softened faintly at that.


    "But your words," I continued, "were like a dagger." I exhaled quietly. "If I had been in her ce... I probably wouldn’t have been able to hold my tears back the way she did."


    River’s expression didn’t change.


    "If she cries, that’s her problem."


    My eyes widened slightly as I asked, "You are not even a little sorry?"


    "No."


    The answer came instantly - blunt and firm.


    If anything, his jaw tightened again.


    "I actually wanted to throw her out myself."


    My mouth fell open slightly.


    "River!"


    "What?"


    I stared at him.


    Then, despite myself, I chuckled. Because even though his irritation was obvious... there was something strangely endearing about how fiercely he had rejected her.


    He huffed quietly. "You think this is funny?"


    "A little."


    He shook his head.


    "You have no idea how frustrating this is."


    My smile faded slightly.


    "What do you mean?"


    H4q leaned back in his chair, still holding me in his arms.


    "I hate this."


    "Hate what?"


    "The fact that I can’t tell everyone yet." His gaze met mine. "That you are my mate."


    The warmth in his voice made my chest tighten.


    "That you are my Luna."


    His arms tightened slightly around my waist.


    "If I could announce it already," he continued, "women like her wouldn’t evene near me."


    My heart skipped.


    "And their parents," he added dryly, "would finally give up on their ridiculous dreams."


    He brushed a stray strand of hair away from my face.


    "But it won’t stay like this forever." His voice softened again. "Once you finish your studies... we’ll get married and the entire world will know."


    The words hung in the air between us, and for a moment, I just stared at him.


    Marriage.


    He had said it so casually - like it was the most natural thing in the world, like it wasn’t something that made my heart suddenly race.


    He noticed my silence and his eyes narrowed slightly.


    "Don’t tell me... you haven’t thought about marrying me and my brothers."


    My face warmed instantly.


    He tilted his head slightly. "You really haven’t thought about it?"


    I opened my mouth. Then closed it again.


    He sighed quietly.


    "Well, you should start."


    My eyes widened slightly. But he continued calmly, as if discussing somethingpletely ordinary.


    "Think about how you want the wedding, the venue, the decorations, your dress."


    His fingers traced slow circles against my waist.


    "The guest list."


    My heart was beating faster now.


    "And where you want to go for the honeymoon."


    My face felt warmer with every word he spoke.


    Because the truth was... this wasn’t the first time one of them had mentioned marriage.


    They had made it very clear what they wanted.


    But I had never allowed myself to fully imagine that day, never allowed myself to dream about it.


    Yet listening to River talk about it so naturally... something inside me shifted.


    Maybe I could dream about it... about standing beside them, aout calling them not only my mates but also my husbands.


    Before I could think too much about it, I leaned forward.


    And kissed him.


    The moment our lips touched, River stilled. Then his arms tightened around me.


    The kiss deepened slowly. It was soft and warm.


    His lips moved gently against mine, unhurried and familiar.


    One of his hands slid up to cradle the back of my head, holding me close as if he didn’t want even the smallest distance between us.


    The world outside the office fadedpletely. There was only him, the steady warmth of his body beneath me, and the quiet rhythm of our breaths blending together.


    When the kiss finally ended, I rested my forehead lightly against his.


    "I love you," I whispered.


    His eyes softened immediately.


    "I love you more."


    Then he leaned forward again, capturing my lips again.